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LM_Netters, Please forgive this rather long story but the inventory thread made me remember it. Everyone has their own ideas about the importance of inventory and I will admit I don't get to do it in full every year, I try but so much gets in the way. I will do one this year, but the real reason I am responding is to tell a story about an inventory I did about 25 years ago. I had just taken a job at a large children's library on a university campus, in Utah. We had just moved from Mississippi and I was so missing my family but was glad I had a job. It was early June and I was inventorying the picture books in the Anne Carroll Moore Library. I was sitting in the middle of the floor pulling book after book out with the shelf list balanced in my lap. I pulled out "Now One Foot, Now the Other" by Tomie DePaolo. I thought I knew most of his books but I wasn't familiar with this one. I normally wouldn't have even looked at the book except to make sure it was in the right place as there was still so much to do and it was getting late in the day. But for some reason I started to read it, and (I still get chills when I think about it) tears started streaming down my face. If you don't know the story it is about a grandfather who has had a stroke and a grandson who helps him get better. Five years earlier my father had a blood clot on his brain and lapsed into a coma for a long time. When he finally woke up, he had to relearn everything just as a baby would. His only grandchild at the time (my son) was just 5. Brent spent hours and days pointing to pictures and telling my dad the words. He would, much later, walk behind my dad with his hand on his belt as my dad would walk with his walker(he watched my Mom or I help balance my Dad). It is a miracle my Dad didn't fall back and crush him. The mental image I still have of a very little boy trying to hold up and guide a grown man is so vivid. Anyway, long story short, it was as if a stranger had lived our life and put it in a book. I took the book home, and didn't say a word to Brent about why I wanted him to read the book, except I though he might like to share it with his baby brother. He read it and said "Mom, its me and Pop, how did he know?" Then he said "I don't know if we should show this to Granny, she might cry." We did eventually and have given a book to all the Grandkids who were born after Pop got sick. So if I hadn't done the inventory I probably would still have seen the book eventually, but now everytime I inventory I'm thinking I still might find a treasure. P.S. My Dad is still alive, although his health is not good and he and my Mom survived Hurricane Katrina. My son, Brent still has his book and he still helps his Pop. Debbie Boutwell Lafayette Middle School Oxford, MS dboutwel@lafayette.k12.ms.us __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/ * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html --------------------------------------------------------------------